Making the Lloyd District Age-Friendly, One Business at a Time

The senior population is the fastest growing population in the country. It also happens to be a large percentage of the resident population here in the Lloyd District. More than a quarter of the people who call the district home are over the age of 65 – that’s more than twice the percentage of seniors in Portland (10.6%). With our focus on making the Lloyd District a better place to live, work and play, we teamed up with Elders in Action and several other partners to help businesses provide excellent service to customers of all ages.

Lloyd EcoDistrict recruited more than 18 volunteers to participate in the Lloyd District Age-Friendly campaign. On July 24th, Elders in Action trained those volunteers on how to provide businesses with constructive feedback when engaging with older adult customers. We discussed key changes in our bodies as we age – eyesight, hearing and balance – all of which can make a quick shopping trip challenging.

On July 31st, the volunteers reconvened and took their knowledge to the field. Teams of volunteers evaluated the age-friendliness of 13 Lloyd District businesses. They looked at all aspects of accessibility and customer service – accessible chairs and bathrooms, the ability to move through the store easily, signage, flooring, and customer interaction, like being greeted and getting assistance when needed. The volunteers met with each business owner or manager to discuss their findings, and shared both things that the businesses are doing well and areas in which they could make changes. After their outing, the volunteers were treated to a special lunch provided by Calaroga Terrace and shared their insights from the day.

Every business received an Age-Friendly tip sheet and a cling for their window marking their association with the Age-Friendly Network. By the end of the day, Rick Slagter, owner of Natural Furniture, was already implementing the volunteers’ suggestions! Adding a hook in the bathroom may seem minor, but often it is the simple things that make a big difference.

We want to thank every business and volunteer that participated in this event to make the Lloyd District a place where we can all actively participate, regardless of age.